Dewey and His Vision of Democracy
Contemporary Pragmatism, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 69-91, June 2010
23 Pages Posted: 7 May 2011
Date Written: June 4, 2010
Abstract
In this essay, I maintain that Dewey's 1888 article, "The Ethics of Democracy" is the most immediate thematic and conceptual predecessor to The Public and Its Problems. Both texts revolve around a number of key themes at the heart of Dewey's thinking about democracy: the relationship between the individual and society, the legitimacy of majoritarianism, and the significance and meaning of political deliberation. When these themes are taken together we come to understand the anti-elitist core of Dewey's political thinking.
Keywords: Dewey, Ethics, Democracy, Elites
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